3-Point Hitch Log/tree skidding with your quick-hitch

[JB4310]

I've taken to using my Harbor Freight quick-hitch as a poor man's skidding arch.

I use a snatch hook that you can get from either Harbor Freight or Tractor Supply and hang it from the top hook on the hitch. I think that the attached photos speak for themselves.

Yes, you do have to be careful to prevent the butt of the tree from smashing into your PTO shield or the like. I just try to keep the chain close to the end and lower the butt if it starts to get too "intimate" for my liking.

Lifting the butt of the tree makes it a lot easier to move by reducing the drag and adding rear weight for traction. The first tree was a toothpick by weight compared to the second one. You really can move a lot with a SCUT as long as you have traction!

I have done it similar to you, with pulling with the QH. I even welded a receiver tube under the top hook. That hook is the perfect fit for that purpose.
The only problem is pulling from there puts much more stress directly to the top link IMO, compared to most other 3 pt use applications.

I only thought about it after I put the receiver tube on mine and realized I better not go trying to jerk a stump out with it.

JB

 

[Hermio]

If I were to pull logs with my Massey, I would do the same as I did with my F250 when I logged my property..........

I used an old F150 pickup hood(that I borrowed from the local junkyard), chained that to the bumper of my pickup.....then put the butt end of the log on the hood...........chained both low...........the 70's style hood acted as a skid, and pulled the logs out just fine.

Be careful with your quick hitch, you seem to be hooking high ...........which could cause a rollover.

I have thought about getting a quick hitch for this purpose, too. Yes, you would be hitching high, but the drawbar pull would be a fraction as high as it would be with the butt of the log plowing a furrow. That might cancel out the danger of pulling a bit high. I note that the Norwood and QuickAttach skidders do hicth high. The QuicAttach skidder has a lower plate which I think would prevent rollover. Note that the Farmi and similar hitches hitch high while wincing, though you can secure the chain to a lower point once the log gets to the tractor. Also, the attachment will hit the ground if the front of the tractor lifts up, which will cause a loss of traction and probably just make the tires dig. I uded to pull logs with a rear blade, and the tires always dug in if the pulling got too hard. Now I have a FEL, which is a rather heavy counterweight. I also have an HST drive, which lets me stop quickly just by letting up on the pedal.

 

[Hermio]

After hurricane Gustav I was moving a large green oak log, and got the bright idea of picking the front of the log up enough with my quick hitch to skid it to where I wanted it. I passed the chain around the end of the log and attached it around the lower hooks on my quick hitch. The 3 point hitch lifted the front of the log and I was able to move it slowly but when I unhooked the chain I realized that the weight had bent the lower hooks on the quick hitch in towards each other! Not the hitch's fault, it simply was not designed for that type of load.

When you attach it to both lower links, you create tremendous leverage to pull the lower links towards each other. The tighter the chain is between them, the worse it will be. If you want to pull low, I suggest placing a standard swiveling drawbar in the lower links, and use the holes to attach your hooks. This will keep the hitch from bending inwards. You need the right length of drawbar, of course. I think this will work: Tractor Drawbar-Drawbars | Agri Supply #28272

 

[Hermio]

I've taken to using my Harbor Freight quick-hitch as a poor man's skidding arch.

I use a snatch hook that you can get from either Harbor Freight or Tractor Supply and hang it from the top hook on the hitch. I think that the attached photos speak for themselves.

Yes, you do have to be careful to prevent the butt of the tree from smashing into your PTO shield or the like. I just try to keep the chain close to the end and lower the butt if it starts to get too "intimate" for my liking.

Lifting the butt of the tree makes it a lot easier to move by reducing the drag and adding rear weight for traction. The first tree was a toothpick by weight compared to the second one. You really can move a lot with a SCUT as long as you have traction!

I think putting a drawbar in your lower link would also keep the log away from the PTO shield. I think this might work: Tractor Drawbar-Drawbars | Agri Supply #28272

 

[LD1]

Do you realize the thread is 4 years old?

Although I do it, I would never suggest someone using the 3ph in this manner. Especially someone with not much experience. Easy way to flip over.

The butt end digging in creating more drawbar pull means nothing. You aren't gonna flip it attached to a FACTORY LOCATED drawbar. Regardless of how big the log or how much it digs. But you very easily can hitching like this thread shows.

 

[Hermio]

You seem to be following this 4-year old thread anyway. I understand the danger of hitching high, yet logging winches do exactly that. Flipover chance is reduced by the plate at the bottom. Also, as long as the towing device contacts the ground when the tractor rears up, it will stop the flipover because the 3-point hitch now pushes against the tractor top ling, breaking traction. As an additional safety measure, an HST transmission allows one to stop the tractor immediately. I have found this very useful, for example, when driving below tree branches or vines and having them hook on the ROPS. The front end of the tractor has lifted up, but I could stop immediately and simply back up. If one has a gear drive tractor, I recommend a full logger's cage be built if the tractor is to be used in the woods.

 

[Hermio]

"The butt end digging in creating more drawbar pull means nothing. You aren't gonna flip it attached to a FACTORY LOCATED drawbar. Regardless of how big the log or how much it digs. But you very easily can hitching like this thread shows."
This is not entirely true. Only if the length of the drawbar attachment point from the centerline of the axle to where the pull is applied is greater than the tire radius can you be 100% certain that the tractor cannot roll over backwards. This is not just because it blocks the roll. It is because of physics. The counter torque created by placing the drawbar below the axle is less than the raising torque as long as the radius is less than the tire radius, once the tractor front gets off the ground. The only thing really keeping the front of the tractor on the ground is the center of gravity being in front of the rear axle, so that the tires will slip before the tractor raises up. But once the tractor starts to raise, it will keep going up until something hits the ground or the counter torque matches the overturning torque, which will not happen if the radius of the load point is less than the tire radius.
In any case, the whole rollover question is one of the reasons I prefer a hydrostatic drive in the woods. You just cannot be sure you will find the clutch fast enough. You have at most a second to do so if a rollover begins, and it is hard to do when you are being tossed around by the tractor.

 

[budepps3760]

What size is your tractor HP and weight. I have a old Mahindra 2810 and I need to do something similar as I plan on building a log cabin on my land. Have 80 acres of trees to use and one concern I have been thinking about is the transportation and lifting them into place.

 

[Hermio]

It is a 2013 Mahindra 5035, branded as a 2015. As equipped with a 4-way FEL, it is about 9000 lb with no rear attachment. The 4-way bucket weighs 600# more than the OEM bucket, so I have plenty of weight on the front.

 

[Kioti Lee]

That is awesome.. Would greatly improve my log moving /splitting program

[/QUOTE]

 

[Hermio]

I finally tried out my quick hitch for logging. (It doesn't fit any of my implements, but since it cost me leas than $100, it is a cheap way to attach some grab hooks.) I pulled an oak section 18" diameter by 40' long, and then pulled the top, which was another 40 long. It had no difficulty doing that. Next, I tried pulling a smaller tree but it got hung up on a stump. My tractor could not budge it, so the relief valve opened and the tires slipped a little. I tried pulling at a different angle and managed to break my 3/8" proof coil chain. That amazed me, because, although such a chain has a working load rating of only 2700 lb, that same chain stopped a John Deere 450 doze and a Komatsu D31, both of which weigh around 15000 lb. And I easily broke a nylon tow rope rated at 10,000 lb breaking strength with the dozers. I guess the chain had a lot of safety factor, but years of overloading it finally took their toll. I finally pulled the tree out from the opposite end.

 

[drizler]

I'm glad you found a use for that POS HF quick hitch. I have one sitting out in the grass doing nothing for 10 or more years now. You are right. Absolutely nothing fit's that thing, what trash.

 

[Grandad4]

I finally tried out my quick hitch for logging. (It doesn't fit any of my implements, but since it cost me leas than $100, it is a cheap way to attach some grab hooks.) I pulled an oak section 18" diameter by 40' long, and then pulled the top, which was another 40 long. It had no difficulty doing that. Next, I tried pulling a smaller tree but it got hung up on a stump. My tractor could not budge it, so the relief valve opened and the tires slipped a little. I tried pulling at a different angle and managed to break my 3/8" proof coil chain. That amazed me, because, although such a chain has a working load rating of only 2700 lb, that same chain stopped a John Deere 450 doze and a Komatsu D31, both of which weigh around 15000 lb. And I easily broke a nylon tow rope rated at 10,000 lb breaking strength with the dozers. I guess the chain had a lot of safety factor, but years of overloading it finally took their toll. I finally pulled the tree out from the opposite end.

Hermio, I just noticed this thread and your earlier posts, and wanted to pass along a couple of comments for you to think about. First, your earlier posts regarding the 3 point links helping to prevent a tip-over if a log gets snagged when pulling or is too heavy... don't think that's quite correct. That's because the 3 point hydraulics can only apply lifting force; they can't put downward force on the lower 3 point arms, which is what would be needed to stop a tractor from doing a backflip. You can test this yourself because you can easily lift the lower arms manually even when the tractor is running (well, it's probably easier to do it if the quickhitch is off, unless you spend time lifting weights at the gym!). If you ever watch a tractor pull at the county fair, you'll see the tractors have brackets on the back to prevent a backflip, but those brackets are fixed in place and don't swing up like 3 point hitch linkages do.

Second, I wanted to comment about pulling logs with the quickhitch setup itself. Pretty neat idea, but I think it puts a lot of strain on the tractor to use it, particularly with large logs relative to the tractor, because it looks to me that nearly all of the pulling load will go through the hook-up chain to the top of the quick-hitch and then into the top-link. If you pull something heavy or hit a snag, that load is going to go right into wherever the top link attaches to the tractor, usually on top of the differential/transmission case. As you have seen, the pulling forces can be tremendous... enough to break something. Fortunately for you it was the chain, not the tractor, that was the weak link with that big log. You may not be so lucky every time. This is different from a logging winch, where the pulling cable has a transport position that puts the pulling load on the lower links that are more strongly mounted somewhere near the axle. Please use great caution if you continue pulling with that quick hitch! A broken tractor or tractor operator can ruin your day!

 

[rd_macgregor]

A skidding cone might also make the stress loading of a sudden hang-up less likely.

 

[Hermio]

Hermio, I just noticed this thread and your earlier posts, and wanted to pass along a couple of comments for you to think about. First, your earlier posts regarding the 3 point links helping to prevent a tip-over if a log gets snagged when pulling or is too heavy... don't think that's quite correct. That's because the 3 point hydraulics can only apply lifting force; they can't put downward force on the lower 3 point arms, which is what would be needed to stop a tractor from doing a backflip. You can test this yourself because you can easily lift the lower arms manually even when the tractor is running (well, it's probably easier to do it if the quickhitch is off, unless you spend time lifting weights at the gym!). If you ever watch a tractor pull at the county fair, you'll see the tractors have brackets on the back to prevent a backflip, but those brackets are fixed in place and don't swing up like 3 point hitch linkages do.

Second, I wanted to comment about pulling logs with the quickhitch setup itself. Pretty neat idea, but I think it puts a lot of strain on the tractor to use it, particularly with large logs relative to the tractor, because it looks to me that nearly all of the pulling load will go through the hook-up chain to the top of the quick-hitch and then into the top-link. If you pull something heavy or hit a snag, that load is going to go right into wherever the top link attaches to the tractor, usually on top of the differential/transmission case. As you have seen, the pulling forces can be tremendous... enough to break something. Fortunately for you it was the chain, not the tractor, that was the weak link with that big log. You may not be so lucky every time. This is different from a logging winch, where the pulling cable has a transport position that puts the pulling load on the lower links that are more strongly mounted somewhere near the axle. Please use great caution if you continue pulling with that quick hitch! A broken tractor or tractor operator can ruin your day!

I do the hard pulling from a drawbar mounted to the bottom of the quick hitch. That will transfer the load pretty much directly to the lower links. Once I get the logs onto the trail, only then do I transfer the pulling point to the top of the quick hitch, so I can lift the log butt up off the ground. This will reduce the drag force considerably. I know what you are saying about the top link, though I don't think the Mahindra would be easily broken. It is very beefy in that area. Also, though logging winches have the ability to pull from either a low pulley or from slots near the lower pulley, many of the videos the manufacturers publish show them pulling and dragging from the top pulley, which places most of the load on the top link. Same problem as the quick hitch.
I also understand what you are saying about 3-point hitches having no down pressure. However, they do have a limit to the possible travel, and that limit is reached before the tractor goes vertical. Still, I am a big proponent of HST drive in the woods, precisely because no positive action on the part of the operator is required to prevent a flip over. All that is required is to stop pushing down on the HST pedal. You can even stop the tractor at a 30 or 45 degree angle and keep it there. I have done so on my Kubota (which I have now sold) when its ROPS got hung up on a low branch.

 

[Hermio]

A skidding cone might also make the stress loading of a sudden hang-up less likely.

I have been using a cut-off plastic olive barrel for that. It sort of works. In this particular case, however, the hang-up was due to a fork, not the butt end of the log. The tree had fallen into the crotch of another tree, and I pulled from the top end due to location. A fork got caught on another tree while turning a corner. I thought I would just break off the tree, as it was a small sapling, maybe 3-4" diameter, but it was tougher than it looked, and the hang-up was at ground level. After the hang-up and broken chain, the log was in a position that I could pull it from the butt end in the opposite direction, which is what I did.

 

[jimmysisson]

Hermio, when I run into that fork situation I often cut most of the way through the branch from the jammed side, just toward the tractor from the in-the-way tree. The branch will fracture at the cut but stay attached to the tree/log so I can complete the pull without having to go back for pieces.
Jim

 

[Hermio]

Good idea. I will have to try that.

 

[Grandad4]

I used a logging winch for several years (always used the lower pulley) and found taking it slow and easy was the best approach. You're correct about the advantages of HST for this work. Still wouldn't trust those 3 point links to save a back flip if the worst happened. Glad you've thought the safety aspects through, Hermio.

 

[MortOz]

... it looks to me that nearly all of the pulling load will go through the hook-up chain to the top of the quick-hitch and then into the top-link. If you pull something heavy or hit a snag, that load is going to go right into wherever the top link attaches to the tractor, usually on top of the differential/transmission case. As you have seen, the pulling forces can be tremendous...

Have to agree there Grandad, about putting the top link mounting at risk. I would also be concerned about the top link itself. Top links are engineered to withstand a reasonable amount of tension, but nowhere near as much as the bottom links. The top link will hold up the weight of a hitched implement like a plough or mower when it is lifted, and they can take some compression load e.g. when the plough hits something and tilts forward, but if that compression load is too large, you end up with a bent top link (I have a couple in the shed). If the tension load is too high, you are also putting too large a component of the force well above the rear axle and increasing the chance of a backward tip. I always see the top link as being a poor third choice for any "pulling" load. The bottom links are the ones that should be second choice for doing all the pulling (held low, not lifted so the pull is above the axle), with first preference for a heavy pull always being the drawbar.